Can I leave my 11 year old alone in airport for an hour?

[Lifoo]

Interested in what the other parents might think about this.

I live in a different country to my kids and regularly fly to Ireland to collect them and then bring them back to UK with me.

On the last trip it was just my 11 year old son travelling and as my plane had been delayed (communicated this with ex) she left my son in the airport by himself, siting that she had to attend a client meeting.

He ended up waiting by himself near security departure gates for an hour.

Thoughts?

If you are considering such a dangerous situation, then please check if the airport can provide a child chaperone. I am aware that this can be provided for children who fly solo. I hope this helps. Please be mindful that airports are extremely busy and disorienting places even for adults. I would definitely recommend a chaperone if you have no other option, because it’s illegal to just leave a vulnerable child alone in a busy public area.

I'm honestly shocked by the number of people outraged and saying no. 11 year olds walk to and from school alone, can go spend the day out with friends, take the bus to get places. Why on Earth would an 11 year old NOT be ok to wait in an airport, which has increased security and no shortage of responsible adults, for an hour? I'm willing to bet he has a phone and knows how to use it

We aren't doing our kids any justice by babying them into their teens...

it’s illegal to just leave a vulnerable child alone in a busy public area.

The child is 11, not 3.

No way I would leave my child at the airport alone, even if he was 11 already!! I don’t even take my eyes off them, and constantly tell them to stay by our side.

My niece did on BA, but she is at Uni now so not sure if the service is still available.
Ryanair and Aer Lingus definitely not.

Until what age are you planning to do that? I'm pretty sure your teenagers will start objecting at some point.

Meh. That sounds fine to me, he's clearly used to the airport and most 11 year olds should be used to doing some things by themselves. I'm assuming he had a phone and is able to grasp "don't go off with strangers". Airports are probably the safest places to be. But I suppose it depends on the child.

South African Airways offer unaccompanied minors from age 5! BA is 14. Airlines vary. Other airlines have no service at all and obviously Ryanair won’t want under 18s! Aer Lingus is 12. They have rules about connecting flights and dc have to be received by a nominated adult. I think some effort could have been made to find the unaccompanied minors facility and talked to them. The real issue is that your ex had a meeting! I would have factored in the possibility of a delayed flight. Is ex his parent. All 11 though he should be safe and follow instructions.

Totally depends on the child. I won’t even let my 10 year old (autistic +ADHD) son out of my sight for 5 minutes so it would be a huge NO for him in a year but at that age my parents would only see me for food during the school holidays even when we were on holiday together. I’d pop into town, go swimming and parks so I’d have easily been ok to sit down for an hour in an airport.

He's done the journey before, so knows what to expect. He knows how to navigate from Security to the 'plane.
He presumably arrived safely - so no problem.

That's very much an over reach by the Gardai (police) in relation to the 11 year olds in a car while your husband went to a bank machine.

There are children travelling alone thru airports all the time. An Irish airport is just about the safest place they can be. Aer Lingus allows children aged 12-15 travel alone. Ryanair and Aer Lingus consider 16 year olds adults. The poster who said Ryanair does not allow children under 18 travel alone is incorrect. Iberia has a service to accompany children aged 5-11.

What is going to happen to a child in the largest airport Dublin, it's full of cameras, full of security and full of police. It's pretty busy. My children flew alone into and out of Irish airports from the age of 12 to continental countries. UK/Ireland is a doddle.

But there's a massive difference between organising for your child to fly as an unaccompanied minor and just taking them to an airport and leaving them there.

Although I do agree that an airport is probably one of the safest places you could do this.

I'd have said an airport was probably one of the safest places to leave an unaccompanied child for a relatively short period of time. CCTV cameras everywhere, police presence, and staff/security controlling where they can roam around. I'd be more worried leaving an 11 year old in a cafe or park, or getting themselves to/from school on public transport!

Presumably, it was just a case of "sit and wait" rather than expecting them to navigate themselves through security, check in, passport control, boarding gates, etc., which indeed may have been more difficult for the child to navigate.

An hour really isn't a long time, and like I say, so many staff/police/cctv watching everything, that highly unlikely they'd have been attacked/abducted etc.

No its absolutely wild this is how people get kidnapped or drugs put on them totally irresponsible

Please can you post the law where it states it’s a crime to leave an 11 year old alone in a public area?

I am not a lawyer but never heard of anyone being arrested for t illegally leaving an 11 year old alone.

That does not happen.

Oh for goodness sake!

Exactly how is anyone going to get kidnapped or given drugs in an airport! I can't think of any location with more security and cameras (and nowhere to escape to with a kidnapped child with no ticket!).

Please tell me you don't have children, if you're as paranoid as you sound.

A lot of 11 year olds navigate buses, trains, roads etc getting to and from school, cinemas, shops etc. Waiting at an airport for an hour is no different then waiting around Bluewater or other shopping centres, and especially as he has used to airports.

SHE

No, he. The OP says "son".
OP is dad who lives abroad, the "she" is mum who left him at the airport.

Yes I know that

Good for you 👍

There were extended laws bought in after James Bulger, one was leaving a child unattended. As in going into somewhere and then the adult leaving. It applies to under 12. It's considered to be putting a child at unnecessary risk. The law wouldn't be used unless there was an accident. It makes situations safer because security training includes not allowing children under 12 to leave a place. It also meant that mirroring the Bulger case, any child under 13, wouldn't be allowed to leave with a child as young as James.
I think it was fine to leave if the son was ok with it and it was for work. My GC, just turned 10 is ok left in the house, but is just getting used to being out independently. You should be guided by the child.

Knob

Would this law apply to an 11y old getting the Tube to school in the rush hour? Genuine question.